


Colored Lights Can Hypnotize

by HalcyonFrost



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Attraction, Brotherly Bonding, Embarrassment, Flirting, Fluff, Loki (Marvel)-centric, M/M, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Thor (Marvel) is a Good Bro, Tony Stark Is Not Helping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-11
Updated: 2018-08-11
Packaged: 2019-06-25 15:34:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15643707
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HalcyonFrost/pseuds/HalcyonFrost
Summary: Thor was trying to be a good big bro to his recently outed brother, but Loki had no idea what finally confessing his orientation to his family would mean for him. Or what chance meetings it would lead to in unlikely places.





	Colored Lights Can Hypnotize

**Author's Note:**

> HI. STILL NOT DEAD. BYE AGAIN.

"Thor, you shouldn't have." Loki stared up at the subtly named _Revved Up Revue_ logo in neon lights on the front of an otherwise plain and cinder building with its blacked out windows and the subtle pounding bass that was emanating from inside. "Really. Why have you done this."

"I am showing my support, brother." Thor stated, and Loki pulled his eyes away from the gaudy sign to stare instead at Thor's proud smile. "I wanted you to know that your coming out has not changed that you are still my brother and still loved and accepted, whomever you so choose as a life partner."

"I come out as pansexual, and as a birthday celebration, you take me to a male strip club on their Pride Night." He looked back to the paper sign hung at eye level on the doors Thor was coaxing him through, a sign stating that tipping was now allowed and encouraged again due to popular demand. Charming. "This is your idea of acceptance?"

The mischief flickered into Thor's eyes. "You are still my brother, Loki. Don't forget that I am still yours too."

"Ah, yes, and you being you, acceptance means this is going to be another thing you can use to torture me, isn't it?"

"With love, Loki, with love."

"Yes, I feel your love and acceptance, may we go now?"

"No, the night is just starting! Come, we'll find a seat right by the stage!"

Oh, lords help him...

**xXx**

Fortunately, the club was more attractive inside than it was outside. Seating was abundant and comfortable, arranged to make the two wide aisles that angled out from the stage in an open Y shape with the chairs and tables filling in between. It was still very much a club though - the lights were both too bright and too dim as they flashed every color on the spectrum, the music was nearing painful in volume, and some routines found to be only vaguely sexy. Which would happen when Pride Night also happened to be Amateur Night in order to fill out the available dancers for a niche crowd.

Loki had the potential to be attracted to men, and the men were definitely physically attractive, but it seemed most of the amateurs had seen Magic Mike too many times and based their dance accordingly. Gyrating in one's face was more of a turn-off for Loki than anything close to arousing to watch or be involved in. It was supposed to be voyeurism, not dry humping in one's general direction. Luckily there were a handful of _exceedingly_ exceptional exceptions closer to what Loki thought professionals were supposed to do, pros that actually knew what was attractive to an audience, and likely regularly employed dancers that were open to dancing for men same as the usual female crowd. About a third of the audience were still women or presented as women though anyway, so it wasn't a strictly male crowd.

Unsurprisingly, Thor was already becoming a focus at the edge of the stage, with his boisterous cheers and frequenting tipping of the best dancers. He had come prepared with cash, leaving Loki feeling as a mere observer of the show, which was perfectly fine when anything more would likely cause the faint color from his cheeks to spread further. Everything was more problematic to enjoy with Thor beside, commenting on dancers and servers alike and inquiring which ones were Loki's type.

"He is most attractive, brother," Thor had nodded to an incredibly handsome and shirtless server with beautifully dark brown skin and the musculature of an Adonis to well complement a winning smile and smooth voice. "Perhaps not _my_ preferred shape, but very attractive. Isn't this _fun_?" He laughed when Loki did (and the music hid the pain in Loki's voice), and patted Loki on the shoulder before taking another swig of beer.

The current and obviously not pro performer was not of a style that interested Loki, so Thor was taking the opportunity to engage Loki in other ways and bring a night of bonding full circle.

Leaning in to be heard clearly without broadcasting their conversation to all other nearby patrons, Thor started in. "I've been thinking-"

"Well, that doesn't bode well for me."

Thor gave him a scolding look for the interruption, and Loki sighed and gestured for Thor to continue. "You introduced several women as girlfriends in the past."

"Yes, as they were indeed girlfriends. And?"

"But a number of men as... as 'close friends,' you called them."

Aha. "I did." Loki led lightly. "Your question about them being?"

Thor finally looked slightly uncomfortable for the first time all night, and it was more than a little amusing. _Finally_ , Thor was uncomfortable somewhere. It was about damn time. "I suppose I am asking... that is- I wondered-"

"How many were not just friends?" Loki took pity and finished for him.

Relieved, Thor seemed to deflate as he smiled guiltily. "Just curious."

"A fair few, but not all." At the vague answer, Thor nodded but his curiosity seemed unsatisfied still. If Loki left it, Thor would spend the rest of the night fidgeting and waiting for another opening. Best to resolve it all at once. "The first man I dated was Michael, when I was 17. I introduced him to you as a friend, and we went out for several months."

"I remember him. He was... an odd boy."

"We artistic types usually are when we're closeted. When I wanted to be more open about who and what I was, he was not ready to do the same. We broke up, but stayed close, platonic friends for some time before he moved away for college. Last I heard, he had a commitment ceremony with his also business partner a few years back."

"Good for him." And shockingly, it appeared Thor meant it.

"As far as other _friends_ of mine you knew, probably a half dozen were boyfriends instead, a couple only ever friends and never romantic, and few others fell into both lists at one point or another. You would likely be more comfortable not knowing names for who was which."

Thor settled a bit, and Loki ordered another round while Thor mulled over his next question. "If you were already dating men at 17, that means you have known of your interest for some time."

"Questioning by 15, sure by 16, and finally found the right word for my varied interests by 20," he answered easily, "so yes, quite a few years of knowing."

"Your friends have known for some time then." Thor said, not asked.

"My friends are as straight as I am. Of course they knew."

Thor nodded thoughtfully, and Loki worried what would come next before, "I should have done more."

Wait... what? "Sorry?"

Thor grimaced and fell momentarily quiet again when the server returned with their drinks. "Perhaps I could have done something to instill more of your trust, that you might have felt more comfortable telling me sooner, knowing I would not treat you differently. I am sorry I did not do this." He actually seemed genuinely _distressed_ at the idea, very thoroughly catching Loki off guard.

The song and performance on stage ended, and the DJ came on over the sound system to call for applause on the parting dancer and to cheer for the next introduction. Five seconds into it, Loki could tell this one wasn't going to be his style either, and he couldn't focus much anyway when he was still reeling over Thor's words.

When Loki had come out a couple months earlier, his mother was worried for his livelihood and confused but accepting, and Thor was a light-hearted and supportive tease that said he could have predicted this ages ago and asked what the real surprise confession was. Frigga scolded Thor for it, and Loki had verbally bit back at his brother with relish and relief until Frigga smacked both of them on the arms and told them to stop. They'd only looked at each and grinned, unrepentant and unremorseful while their mother sighed out a helpless and exasperated " _boys_ " and left the room. Loki thought that would be it, that everything was normal and this was just a small, new thing that would be acknowledged but glossed over, and now here Thor was, making legitimate attempts to not just understand Loki but to make amends. Loki's late coming out was due to his own fears, not failings on the parts of other.

And somehow, Thor had been led to believe all wrong. Loki felt... "guilty" was not the right word, but perhaps that it was a failing on his part now. But this was one he could fix.

"It was never something you did or didn't do." Loki told him, when their conversation could once again be masked with the thrum of music. "Thor, if a stranger found out that I liked men the same as woman, it would hardly affect me. What would I care if someone didn't approve of me when they hardly knew me?" He sighed and leaned forward to catch the corner of Thor's eye. "I do, however, have this _awful_ tendency to care about _your_ opinions of me." Loki nudged his shoulder until Thor looked over, and Loki flashed him a grin. "I've told you now, with full confidence. Hell, I let you drag me in _here_ , that should be proof enough of my unfortunate trust in you."

That did bring a smile back to Thor's face. "Was it my persuasiveness, your trust, or the promise of a view that truly convinced you inside?"

Loki glanced back to the stage and cast an unimpressed look. "Well, it certainly wasn't the view, so I suppose one of the former two applies."

Finally Thor laughed and slapped Loki's shoulder. "We've only been here an hour, brother, surely someone will pique your interests soon."

"Statistically, yes, but I suppose we'll just see."

For the remainder of that performance and indeed the next, conversation turned a little lighter as they avoided watching the show and instead discussed anything they could settle on. They quieted again when the stage cleared and the DJ announced a group piece next of the real revue pros, and Loki was slightly more keen to see what he hoped would be proper choreography.

A trio made their way into the stage, confidence and sex radiating in their walk as they took their places and enticed cheers from the crowd. All eyes were on them as the music swelled and the first beats struck with a perfectly synchronized flash of the overhead lights and the dancers' sudden switch into the sharp-hitting choreography set to a familiar song's synthetic beat. They landed every hard beat of rhythm, precisely and effortlessly in tune with each other, smooth in their transitions from pose to flattering pose and shameless flaunts of their best angles. Barely a half minute on, they stripped off their shirts in a gorgeously indulgent body roll in time to the lyric, and Loki had to internally admit that this was much more the kind of show that he preferred.

As the song lulled just a minute into the routine, and the dancers raised their arms above their heads and beckoned for more cheers, even Loki was hard-pressed to refuse. They were such a pleasant distraction that everyone had their eyes on stage and weren't paying attention to anywhere else in the room. Loki never expected the audience to be part of the performance area.

He felt a hand brush across his shoulders in a lingering bid for attention, and Loki pivoted just in time to see another dancer pass by in the open aisle, catching Loki's eye just long enough to pull a smirk that did dangerous things to Loki's gut. It took breaking eye contact - and then Loki's eyes breaking contact from the fantastic ass as the dancer kept moving - for Loki to grasp that the dancer was just one of the four that were working their way to the stage to join the others. And they did _work_ all the way by. They might have still been mostly clothed for the moment, but struts like that didn't take nudity to be attractive, and the fit of their pants didn't leave a whole lot to the imagination.

The new quartet joined the act seamlessly, and though the group as a whole was incredible, despite his attempts to look elsewhere, Loki's eyes were still inexorably drawn back to the one that had passed close enough to touch. He was a little shorter than the others that made up the group, brown hair, well-trimmed goatee, dark eyes; in theory, nothing particularly standout. Except his grin. And the enthusiasm of every smooth shift and sharp lock. And the way his hands moved down his own body and peeled off each piece of clothing with a personal relish and not just for show. Loki couldn't tear his eyes away, and even more curiously, the dancer's eyes continuously tracked back to Loki with each of the most provocative moves.

"Well, brother," Thor's voice came from close beside Loki, smug and amused, " _he_ is quite attractive. And attracted, it seems."

"Not another word." Loki threatened half-heartedly, weakened by the performers finally stripping down to nothing but fitted trunks in all the colors of the rainbow and naturally, being that Pride was the night's theme, each dancer had a very specific set. It was especially fitting that the attentive brunette wore a familiar array of three colors that Loki associated with as well. Thor only laughed and patted Loki's arm in consolation.

As the music slowed again and dancers split up and moved back into the crowd, Loki knew he was in trouble the moment their feet hit the the first stairs. He managed to glance away and spot the other performers already picking receptive partners from the audience, some even coaxing audience members to put their hands on the dancer's bodies, and Loki looked back up just in time to see the brunette making straight for Loki. Only slightly mercifully, the brunette was subtle, drawing Loki's hands into the dancer's own and pulling Loki numbly to his feet while he was too shocked to turn it down. He was encouraged close, led into a simplistic dance that was thankfully not even half as racy as the other audience members were being. Until the dancer spun himself to press his bare back to Loki's chest, swaying them to the reverberating chord of an electric guitar, turning slowly towards Loki to the strummed bass beats, their faces a mere inch or two apart for a millisecond...

Before he pushed Loki back down into his seat at the song's melody resumed and the dancer darted back up to join the others returning to the stage for their finale.

Loki hardly paid much attention to the dance itself after that. He was too busy watching the brunette's face as he too tried and failed to not keep watching Loki right back. And all Loki could wonder was if it was entirely an act or if there might have been a mild possibility that a kiss actually could have happened. Then, Loki had to berate himself for wishing it had. This was _nothing_ , and the dancer was just that - someone working for a living by attracting clientele. Loki couldn't be allowed to take it all that personally when it clearly wasn't.

Though, good _gods_ would it have been nice if he was wrong about it this time.

**xXx**

The rest of the night didn't go any better.

A few other dancers also stood out as talented and enjoyable, but the brunette from before had a solo later, and when Thor gestured him closer with a folded up bill, Thor only shoved it into Loki's hand when the dancer came for it, forcing Loki to be the one to slip it into the waistband of the dancer's underwear. Thor was highly amused at how red Loki's face went at that point, and the tauntingly intimate finger that the dancer ran along Loki's chin before returning to stage again didn’t help either.

And so finally, after an unexpected night in a male strip club, accompanied by his brother, Loki was released and ready to go back to his apartment to curl up in absolute silence for a while. Thor, meanwhile, seemed very pleased with himself still, and in the car ride back, apologized for the embarassment but thanked Loki for indulging Thor this night.

After dropping Loki off outside his building, Thor was about to drive off, when Loki stopped him and stooped down to peer in through the open passenger side window.

"I should thank you for- well, this was a hellish night, but it could have been worse, I suppose. "

"Sentiment doesn't suit you, Loki. Best to leave me to my assumptions of how likely you are to return this favor."

Loki chewed on his lip, but he started this, and he was going to finish what he wanted to say. "It was... appreciated."

Now Thor looked confused. "What's that?"

"The gesture. To show your support of my affirmation. I appreciate you going to such lengths to show your acceptance."

He smiled, relieved and indulgent. "Of course. It is what brothers do, yes?"

"Yes. Yes, it is."

But somehow, until tonight, Loki had forgotten. Not anymore.

**xXx**

The night fell from Loki's mind for the most part, Thor's embarassing attempt at a sweet gesture the highlight of the memory, and most else was washed away in the flash of too much spray tanner and too many lights and bright colors luring him into thoughts he wouldn't let himself entertain. Long before he came out to his family, Loki had discovered his interests and built a life sure of that identity, so nothing much had changed since his confession and Thor's following night of re-asserting himself as the embarassing big brother.

Loki hardly expected it to come back to him in the middle of March, while bundled up in the lingering cold and picking through oranges in the supermarket.

"'Scuse me, mind if I grab one-"

Loki glanced over at the voice beside him, preparing to shift away, only to pause when the other man's eyes narrowed.

"Hey, do I know you?"

Surely, Loki would have, with a looker like this stranger. His curious head tilt matched the turned up corner of his mouth, and his bright, honeyed brown eyes matched his dark hair and goatee barely visible above his goldenrod scarf. Then again... he seemed _familiar._

The stranger only smiled a bit brighter when Loki pivoted towards him, squinting as if that would help jar his memory. "Maybe if I hear your name..."

"Tony. My name is Tony."

Tony... Still no bells went off, and Loki's confusion tripled, now joined by frustration. Not being able to place Tony was a tragedy that Loki didn’t want to bear. "Somehow, you seem like someone I'd find very difficult and unwilling to forget."

"Must have made an impression on you somehow." Tony teased, and Loki released an amused breath through his nose.

"So it would seem. I'm Loki, by the way."

Predictably, as most did upon hearing the name, Tony grinned. "Norse god of mischief? I think I would remember the name, at least."

"Yes, but I do try to make a distinction for myself beyond an odd, old name."

"I'm sure." Tony breathed out a slight laugh that was charming as hell. "But you feel it too, right? The niggling thought that we've met before?"

"Part of me says yes, and the other part of me..." The right words couldn’t quite be found, but it was almost like-

"Like it was a different life." Tony finished, and Loki nodded incredulously. Whoever Tony was, Loki couldn't figure how he'd managed to have no solid memory of where they had seen each other before. Tony just laughed and glanced down a moment before he looked back up, and Loki just _saw_ the shift like the flick of a switch as Tony turned on the flirt from a shift in body language to the tone of his voice. "Maybe we could try it again in this one."

And very suddenly, Loki remembered where they'd met. He was hard to recognize with all his clothes on in normal lighting. When Tony realized the same a split second later, his whole face dropped, and his eyes went wide.

"Shit, wait, never mind, we definitely don't know each other." Tony practically threw the orange back down into the pile, only to have to frantically catch the small avalanche before he backed away in a hurry. "Sorry, silly mistake. I'll just be going."

"Wait!" Loki rushed after, but Tony resisted the call.

"This is already weird, let's not make it worse by keeping it going."

"It doesn't have to be awkward-"

"Too late!" Tony stage whispered loudly when people started watching as he darted up between the aisles. But Loki wasn't easy to shake with his longer stride, lowering his voice too despite it not really helping in diminishing the suspicious sight they made.

"Just wait a moment, please!"

Grimacing, Tony stopped and pulled Loki in close by the arm. "Look, there's obviously attraction, and it's obvious why, but from extensive experience and observation, I can tell you for certain that nothing good tends to come out of relationships started in..." he glanced at their unsubtle onlookers, " _clubs_ like mine. Maybe we could have had more luck in-" his shoulders sagged, "in a different life."

"Why not be an exception?"

Tony’s smile was bitterly amused as he let Loki go and started to step away. Except Loki followed. "You're cute. Your optimism is not the most realistic though."

"It's not optimism; it's determination." Eyes narrowed in a calculating stare, but Loki didn't falter. "If it was only about... what you were doing, I would have been looking around you too. But I wasn't. You know that well considering you were staring back."

Tony paused uncertainly, but Loki's tone did actually make him pause, so Loki hoped that meant good things. Maybe this wouldn't be too far too. He had to take a chance.

"Do you like coffee?"

Tony blinked before a smile slowly pulled at his mouth. "You asking me out for some?"

Way to not dance around it. At least it was worlds easier for Loki that way. "Yes, I am."

An oddly serious look crossed his face. "You're not looking at me like some project or sugar baby that needs to be saved and taken care of either, are you? Because that's not going to work for me."

"Your choice of work is yours, not mine. I'm sure you have your reasons for such a profession."

"Damn straight I do." The grin widened briefly before Tony supressed it slightly and turned to fully face Loki again. "In that case, I love coffee. When do you like coffee?"

So Tony made it _very_ easy. "Tomorrow morning? I know a shop with a decent bakery on the side."

"Sounds fun. You've got yourself a date." He glanced back to the produce shelves again, chewing on the edge of his lip. "Guess I should finish grocery shopping first though. Still need food today."

"As do I."

Slightly awkwardly, they both turned to walk back to where they came from, but when they shifted on their feet close enough to brush shoulders, there was no mistaking the surge of warmth already in Loki's chest. So their first meeting and reunion were both incredibly strange and more than mildly embarassing. There was something else here to be pursued, and Loki was nothing if not dedicated to pursuing the things in life he desired. This didn't have to continue being awkward.

"By the way," Tony chimed in, "wasn't there some blond linebacker with you when we met?"

Ah. Maybe not completely free of embarrassment after all. That conversation was going to be fun...

**Author's Note:**

> So Thor laughs his ass off when Tony and Loki tell him, but the truth ends with the three of them. Everyone else gets the story of their second meeting as "how they met" and Tony doesn't share his night job with Loki's friends. Tony's friends know about the job, of course, but still not that he met Loki there. Tony quits dancing a couple months after he and Loki move in together, and after he's saved up enough money for his clean energy starter company~ 
> 
> Thor is allowed to be best man at their wedding on the sole condition that he makes no confessions about their real meeting. His toast is very subtle, dotted with close-cutting phrases that make Loki grit his teeth and Tony smother chuckles behind his hand. As much as Loki swears revenge on his brother, he's also secretly thankful for Thor's unintentional hand in facilitating Loki meeting Tony. He never quite gets around to the great plan of vengeance in the end, but he and Tony do live out a blissful, long life together. AND THAT'S HOW IT GOES~


End file.
